The bill amends the Education Service Cooperative Act of 1985 to enhance the governance and operational efficiency of education service cooperatives in Arkansas. It removes previously established boundaries for cooperatives, allowing for a more flexible structure, and repeals the requirement for each cooperative to establish a teacher center. The bill mandates that each cooperative's board of directors create an executive subcommittee and develop a strategic plan, while also introducing a new rating system to evaluate cooperative performance. Additionally, it allows the State Board of Education to take action against cooperatives that receive poor ratings over multiple years and modifies the conditions under which a cooperative may be dissolved.

Key changes include the requirement for cooperatives to post employee salary schedules and benefits on their websites for transparency, as well as the establishment of a state-level Education Service Cooperative Committee to oversee strategic plans. The bill also clarifies the participation rights of public school districts and open-enrollment public charter schools in state-funded programs and outlines their responsibilities regarding monitoring and evaluating services provided by cooperatives. Furthermore, it introduces a revised funding formula based on student enrollment and establishes a structured evaluation process for cooperatives, including consequences for those receiving low ratings. Overall, these amendments aim to improve accountability, funding distribution, and operational effectiveness within Arkansas's education service cooperatives.

Statutes affected:
HB 2002: 6-13-1002, 6-13-1003, 6-13-1004, 6-13-1005, 6-13-901, 6-13-1006, 6-13-1007, 6-13-1021, 6-13-1027, 6-13-1008, 6-13-1009, 6-13-1010, 6-13-1022, 6-13-1011, 6-13-1012, 6-13-1013, 6-13-1031, 6-13-1014, 6-13-1015, 6-13-1016, 6-13-1017, 6-13-1018, 6-13-1019, 6-13-1020, 6-13-1023, 6-13-1025, 6-13-1027(e), 6-13-1027(g)